Heather McPherson: Pucker up, it's National Grapefruit Month

Fresh grapefruit adds bright flavors to menus. (Michael Tercha, MCT )

February 15, 2012|Heather McPherson, FOOD

St. Patrick's Daywill be here before we know it. What recipes do you need to make March 17 grand? Email me and I will add them to our test kitchen menu that posts on my blog March 12. In the meantime, let's dish:

Citrus celebration. February is national grapefruit month, a designation that is all about honoring local growers. Any way you slice it or squeeze it, grapefruit offers home cooks lots of diversity in menu planning. Popular Florida varieties include marsh white, ruby red and flame.

Marsh grapefruit, which is very juicy and easy to section, has a light yellow rind and amber-colored flesh. Ruby red is bolder in coloring with a yellow-pink rind and bright pink or red flesh. Flame grapefruit has a yellow rind and sweet, dark red flesh.

For breakfast, use grapefruit segments to top whole-wheat waffles or add a sweet-tang to a yogurt parfait.

At lunch and dinner, toss cut-up fruit into a shrimp stir-fry for a punch of flavor or add to kebab lineups on the grill. In both preparations, the fruit's natural sugars caramelize adding subtle citrus notes. Also, you can enliven salad dressings and vinaigrettes by whisking in citrus juice instead of vinegars.

At snack time or for a tailgate party, add chopped grapefruit to homemade salsas for a kick or freeze the juice in ice pop holders for a frozen treat. (Add a few chopped segments to the juice before filling the holders for texture.)

Grapefruit is best stored loose at cool room temperature for four to five days. To store up to three weeks, keep uncut fruit in the refrigerator crisper.

Local toast to National Grapefruit Month: Uncle Matt's grapefruit juice made the list of "99 Healthy Foods You Should Have in Your Shopping Cart." The list was created by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the most recognized doctor in America and host of the syndicated television program "The Dr. Oz Show" (doctoroz.com). Uncle Matt's products can be purchased at Whole Foods Market and Publix stores.

Cooking for dollars. Jordan Adams of Oviedo is a finalist in the Martha White Muffin Mix Challenge. Online voting and scores from judges will determine the $5,000 grand-prize winner. Adams' Very Berry Triple Berry was chosen from recipes submitted by home cooks who developed recipes using at least one pouch of Martha White Muffin Mix.

The grand-prize winner will receive $5,000 and a Martha White gift basket; the four runners-up will each receive $1,000 and a Martha White gift basket. Voting at marthawhite.com runs through Feb. 27. Voters must be 18 years old. One vote per person or email address is allowed per day. Also, voters can enter for a chance to win a Martha White gift basket.

Farm fresh. The Hatter Harvest club of Stetson University will host farmers markets from noon-4 p.m. on three Sundays this semester: Sunday, March 18 and April 22. The gathering of local farmers and food artisans will be on the Stetson Green, the lawn between the Carlton Union Building and the Quad at 421 N. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand. Check out Stetson Farmers' Market on Facebook for details.